Cannelloni

Rudy Giuliani is asking whether you love America. But all I really want to know is whether you love cannelloni. These delicious tubes of pasta, stuffed with mozzarella, ricotta, spinach and/or ground meat, covered with a tomato or béchamel sauce, and then baked to perfection. Do you believe in cannelloni? That’s my question.

Of course, the red and blue states of Italy view cannelloni differently. In and around Naples, for example, you could expect to see the meat and cheese combination offered in today’s recipe, though the sauce would be a Neapolitan ragù (which I didn’t have time to make), rather than a classic tomato sauce. Up north, you might find a fresh egg pasta, covered with béchamel. The potential fillings might well vary from house to house. And in some homes, cannelloni might just be called manicotti, especially when the filling is simply ricotta.

Forget politics. Tell me whether you love cannelloni, and then I will tell you how I vote.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until lightly golden. Add the meat, and after a couple of minutes, the wine. Cook for about 10 minutes and remove from heat. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, add the ricotta, Parmigiano, and mozzarella. Mix in the meat and the hard boiled egg. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the two beaten eggs.

Lay out the pasta sheets. Cut the sheets into rectangles, 3 inches x 4 inches. Place a spoonful of the filling in the center and roll the sheets into a tube. (There should be enough filling so that the pasta does not go around more than once.) Repeat until all the pasta sheets are filled.

Spread a spoonful of sauce over the bottom of a baking pan. Arrange the cannelloni over the sauce, so that they are not touching. Cover each with a spoonful of sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until hot.

Serve immediate with a spoon of remaining sauce and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.

Notes

The total prep and cook time will take 60 minutes if you use package cannelloni tubes or fresh pasta sheets.

Ed Garrubbo has been studying, cooking, searching for, and thinking about la cucina italiana for as long as he can remember. He cooks a wide range of Italian dishes, but loves his pasta most. He visits restaurants, cooking schools, markets, and food artisans across Italy, and wherever Italians practice their craft. He is a member of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, and is a citizen of both the United States and Italy.

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Pasta on Sunday is a tradition enjoyed by Italians around the world. In order to preserve this unifying and magical tradition, The Garrubbo Guide® is proud to publish our weekly feature Sunday Pasta®. In addition to the authentic pasta recipe, we provide historical background and our accompanying wine recommendation. Buon Appetito!